Going rate for taking care of cows

I have been taking care of 55 head on milo stocks for about 90 days. They are half a mile from my place. The guy I am taking care of them for lives 30 miles away. All I have to do is chop ice on the pond when needed and make sure they are doing well. I talked to a couple of my buddies in the cattle business and they told me that a dollar a day per head is the going rate. That is almost $5000.00, I feel a little guilty charging that much because it really was not that hard of work. I am really just saving him a trip up here everyday. I guess what I am asking does that seem fair. I live in central Kansas and we did have a couple of nasty snow storms. Thank you for the info. Marty
 
Are they on your land eating your milo? How much time per week do you devote to their care? Are you responsible for vet work, casualties, insurance, calving, transportation, additional feed if the snow gets too deep? Lot of variables here. Joe
 
The guy that takes care of my cattle when I am gone charges $10.00 per hour, he charges door to door and uses my truck, trailer and gas to put out Hay when needed and of course my tractors. That is on my land, it was unclear from your post whether his cattle are grazing your milo stalks or his. A dollar per head per day to me would include something above general care and looking after them, I think in most places that would include hay at a minimum.
 
Around here a $1/day/cow would be if you were backgrounding them on dry lot, it would include the feed (more than just hay).
What you are describing would be pasture rent. I recieved $25/acre/cow calf pair/month on wheat stubble last fall.
 
It is his land, his milo stalks. As I stated all I am doing is chopping ice and making sure all is well with them. As far as I know he may come up every two weeks or so. That is why I am asking what would be a reasonable charge for no more than I have been doing. Because I thought that a $1 per head a day was a little much. Thank you all for your information. Marty
 
Keep track of the time you spend on each trip over there and charge a reasonable hourly rate. I don't think he would like you giving him a bill for five thousand dollars for three months work.
 
Figure your time door to door. Charge him 15 dollars an hour labor. Add in all other expenses accrued. Give him a bill NOW, and one at the end of every 2 weeks. Don't let him ever get behind.
 
Your commitment is rather minimal- just your time, driving, labor, etc. But why wasn"t that settled before you started? Always leads to more problems.
 
This sounds like one of those times where you wait for him to ask what he owes you. Then you tell him "whatever it's worth to you".
 
I feed 22 head of cows, one bull and five fall calves (all running together)for my neighbor who lives 12 miles away. They are on an automatic waterer, so all I do is fill the round bale feeders....making sure they never run out of hay. It takes me about 1 hour ( actual time to feed)per week actually. I use my tractor. His cows and land are bordering my farmstead, so I don't travel more than 1/4 mile to get there. I charge him $40.00 per week. I told him it was just decent "beer money". He pays me once a month. He and I are both happy. I can see the bale feeders across my fence, so it's easy to know when they need fed.
 
(quoted from post at 19:54:18 02/20/14) I am really just saving him a trip up here everyday. I guess what I am asking does that seem fair. I live in central Kansas and we did have a couple of nasty snow storms.

On the one hand you are "not doing much", on the other you're easily saving the guy 1-1/2 to 2 hours per day and 60 miles worth of gas/diesel (depending what he drives) everyday he's not coming up to check his stock. That's worth something. Assuming a typical 15mpg pickup truck and $3.50 gas, it's $14/day in fuel alone (that he's not spending because you are there looking in on them.) So don't charge any less than that (adjusted for actual local conditions), since he's also saving his time, wear and tear on his truck, and need to get through bad weather.

I'd agree both with the "better to sort it out in advance" (too late for that, obviously) and "try asking him what it's worth to him" comments, but I'd have at least that much in mind as a comeback to a lowball "what's it worth" number, if that happens. If he's a decent guy, the "what's it worth" may be considerably higher, in which case you should not protest too vehemently...
 
Its been stated on here already BUT.. So now your deciding on the fee?? Should have been done before hand. Let it be until/or not as rrlund said person asks what they owe ya..
 
I have done that for others and had somebody feed for me. We just charge by the hour and use the owners equipment, $10.00 an hour is about right I think.
 
$1/day/per head is to much. That is a tidey sum for no more than you are doing. I would charge by the hour. My going rate is $11.50 an hour. Since you are using your vehicle and its close by, I'd charge from the time you leave your place untill you get beck. Maybe even from the time you start putting on your winter clothes, till the time you take them off unless you are going to be outside anyways. just figure how long it took you on an average day, and take it times how many days you did it.
 
I have 40+ cows and usually around 6 replacement heifers. I pay my neighbor $10 a day to take out 1 bucket of feed for the heifers per day and 7 rolls of hay once a week. He usually looks at the cows and checks the automatic waterers each day. Probably takes less than 30 min a day except when putting out hay and even then prob 1 hr tops. This is only 3 weeks out of the year though. My land, my cows and my equipment. He seems pleased with the arrangement. I'm pleased cause I know he'll call me or a vet if there's a prob.
 

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